A charity in Minnesota, known for its efforts in violence prevention, has reportedly crumbled under the weight of scandal after its leaders allegedly misused $6.5 million in charitable funds to support extravagant lifestyles and fund a private liquor store.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Friday that a civil lawsuit has been filed against the nonprofit organization, We Push for Peace, and its former directors, Trahern Pollard and Jaclyn McGuigan.
Once holding valuable contracts for community outreach and violence prevention initiatives, the organization is now accused of being driven into financial ruin due to what prosecutors describe as “rampant abuse” and blatant self-serving practices.
The lawsuit claims that Pollard personally misappropriated over $6 million from the charity’s funds. Instead of being used to benefit the community, the money allegedly financed a luxurious lifestyle for Pollard, including trips to Las Vegas, purchases of luxury vehicles, and lavish spending sprees at Harley Davidson and spa stores.
FILE – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison addresses an audience during a Community Empowerment speaker series at the Bridge Center in Detroit, Michigan, on May 7, 2025. (Monica Morgan/Getty Images)
Furthermore, Pollard is accused of using the nonprofit’s funds to settle personal financial obligations, such as child support payments and a tax bill with the IRS. The funds also allegedly supported his private ventures, including a used car dealership and a liquor store.
McGuigan, who acted as the charity’s treasurer, allegedly transferred a recurring $1,000 per week of nonprofit funds into her own personal account and stole thousands more in government grant funds that she claimed were for “administrative” expenses.
“Instead of helping the community, they helped themselves to millions of dollars that should have gone into the community,” Ellison wrote in a statement.
FILE- FBI and law enforcement agents raid Mini Childcare (formerly Mako Childcare) in south Minneapolis on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Mini Childcare was one of 22 sites targeted Tuesday morning as part of a fraud probe in Minnesota. (Anthony Souffle/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Prosecutors noted that when the City of Minneapolis requested the nonprofit’s assistance during Operation Metro Surge, a major Homeland Security enforcement operation in Minnesota, the once-multimillion-dollar organization was “utterly incapable” of answering the call.
When state investigators began closing in, Pollard allegedly submitted false statements under the penalty of perjury, falsely claiming a child support payment was “nonprofit overhead” and that a $35,000 payout to his personal friends was “Chicago payroll.”
FILE – Keith Ellison speaks during a Level of Justice panel discussion at the United Justice Coalition’s inaugural Social Justice Summit in New York City on July 23, 2022. (Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
To justify the missing millions, prosecutors claim Pollard quickly incorporated a fake “for-profit arm” of the charity just days after the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office began asking questions.
He also allegedly set up another new, for-profit corporation called “Change Makers” to drain the nonprofit’s remaining revenue and diverted lucrative community liaison contracts, including a deal with Whole Foods, away from the charity and straight into his newly formed private company, according to court documents.
